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A: Fountains deserve a lot of love. As they launch water into the air, they add dramatic movement and visual appeal to the landscape. The sound of stirring water makes anyone within earshot relaxed and tranquil. Fountains add a good deal of oxygen to the pond as the tiny droplets make contact with the air and fall back into the pond. But do they provide enough aeration? It all depends on your pond’s depth.

More Than 6 Feet Deep…

If your pond is more than 6 feet deep, your fountain does not provide enough aeration. Why? The best way to aerate the pond is to circulate the entire body of water at the same time. Because a fountain draws water from the top of the water column only, the water deeper than the 6-foot mark remains untouched – and oxygen deprived.

An aeration system, like the Pond Series™ Aeration System, will pump air to the diffuser plate positioned at the bottom of the pond. The rising bubbles then lift and aerate the water from the bottom up, ensuring that the entire pond is circulated and oxygenated.

Less Than 6 Feet Deep…

If your pond is less than 6 feet deep, your fountain is good to go. Because enough oxygen is exchanged at the pond’s surface, you don’t need additional aeration – but you do need to worry about the fountain’s spray pattern and horsepower.

The most effective shape for aeration is the “V” shape or “Classic” pattern, like the one included in the AquaStream™ fountain. It does the job simply and effectively. The more decorative the spray pattern, the less likely it is to adequately aerate your pond because more energy is spent on creating the patterns than on moving the water.

As for horsepower, when using a fountain for aeration purposes, go with a 1.5 HP motor per acre. Remember that depending on your pond’s size and shape, you may need more than one fountain to properly aerate. If you’re using a fountain for decoration only, you can go with a 1 HP per acre motor instead.

Weighing the Cost

A fountain can be costly to operate, but an aeration system – which has lower operating costs when compared to a fountain running 24/7 – is an affordable alternative. Whichever method you choose, don’t go without aeration, because that could cost you more in the long run!

Pond Talk: What’s your favorite fountain? What makes it stand out to you?

A: It sounds like your finned pal has a parasite called anchor worm. And they’re no fun.

These copepod crustaceans from the genus Lernaea bury themselves into the muscles of fish where they live and grow for several months, transforming into an unsegmented worm-like protrusion. Once developed, they make their way out of the fish, leaving behind bad wounds – which is the red area you’re seeing on your fish. Right before anchor worms die, they release their eggs and the cycle repeats over and over again.

A fish suffering from an anchor worm infestation will show the following signs:

Frequent rubbing or ‘flashing,’ which is when it rubs its body up against objects attempting to dislodge the parasite

Localized redness

Inflammation on its body

Tiny white-green or red worms in wounds

Breathing difficulties

General lethargy

Parasites like anchor worms can be introduced into the pond when new aquatic critters or plants are added to the existing mix. Unbeknownst to water garden hobbyists, the anchor worms hitch rides on the other fish or in the soil and roots of plants and establish themselves in their new home.

The cure for anchor worms is a pond-wide treatment with an anti-parasitic medication like KnockOut™ PLUS. As soon as you see signs of anchor worm, pour the recommended amount in your pond daily for seven consecutive days. When the infection clears up, continue treatment for an additional three days to ensure the parasites are gone for good.

If you plan to add fish or plants to your pond this summer, you can also use KnockOut™ PLUS as a preventive. It treats a variety of other fish ailments, including ich, fungus and flukes. Simply add it to the water when you introduce the new pond inhabitants.